Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Here some more from REUTERS about the general situation

Hong Kong protesters stockpile supplies, fear fresh police advance
(Reuters) - Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters filled the streets of
Hong Kong late on Tuesday, stockpiling supplies and erecting makeshift
barricades ahead of what some fear may be a push by police to clear the roads
before Chinese National Day.
On the eve of Wednesday's anniversary of the Communist Party's foundation of
the People's Republic of China in 1949, crowds poured into
central districts of the Asian financial hub, near where National Day
festivities are scheduled to take place.
There was a carnival atmosphere among demonstrators, in contrast to weekend
clashes when riot police fired pepper spray and tear gas to quell the
unrest.
Nevertheless, rumours have spread among protesters that police could be
preparing to move in again, as the pro-Beijing government, which has called the
demonstrations illegal, vowed to go ahead with celebrations.
"Many powerful people from the mainland will come to Hong Kong. The Hong Kong
government won't want them to see this, so the police must do something,"
Sui-ying Cheng, 18, a freshman at Hong Kong University's School of Professional
and Continuing Education, said of the National Day holiday.
"We are not scared. We will stay here tonight. Tonight is the most
important," she said.
Online student groups urged supporters to move towards the convention centre,
near the harbour waterfront, ahead of a planned flag-raising ceremony there on
Wednesday morning.
Student leaders had given Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying an ultimatum to
come out and address the protesters before midnight on Tuesday, threatening to
escalate action in the next few days to occupy more government facilities,
buildings and public roads if he failed to do so.
The protesters, mostly students, are demanding full democracy and have called
on Leung to step down after Beijing ruled a month ago that it would vet
candidates wishing to run for Hong Kong's leadership in 2017.
While Leung has said Beijing would not back down in the face of protests, he
also said Hong Kong police would be able to maintain security without help from
People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops from the mainland.
In a blog post published shortly before the students' deadline, Leung urged
city residents to abandon the protest movement, widely known as "Occupy
Central", immediately.
"The impact on the value of Hong Kong's international image is becoming
greater and greater," he wrote. "I hope you will all think about this."DEMONSTRATIONS COULD ESCALATE
People voiced concern that the protests could escalate on Wednesday.
"I don't know what the police or government will do to me, but I am 100
percent sure I need to come out (tonight)," said Ken To, a 35-year-old manager
of a restaurant in the densely packed Mong Kok residential district.
Its dark alleyways and triad-run bars - a far cry from the glittering high
rises across the water for which Hong Kong is famous - could prove a flashpoint
for violence, residents fear, although police have steered clear of the area in
recent days.
China rules Hong Kong under a "one country, two systems" formula that accords
the former British colony a degree of autonomy and freedoms not enjoyed in
mainland China, with universal suffrage set as an eventual goal.
Protesters massed in at least four of Hong Kong's busiest areas, including
Admiralty, the Central business district, the bustling shopping district of
Causeway Bay and Mong Kok in Kowloon.
Organisers said as many as 80,000 people thronged the streets after
demonstrations flared on Friday night, and many have slept out for the past four
nights blocking usually busy roads. No independent estimate of crowd numbers was
available.STOCKPILING SUPPLIES
Alex Chow, leader of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, said the protests,
which began as a gathering of students and the "Occupy Central" movement, had
become much broader and attracted Hong Kongers of all walks of life.
"It has evolved into a civil movement," he said.
"We can see the Beijing and Hong Kong governments already feel pressure, so
the 'Occupy' movement must continue," Chow told protesters in
Admiralty.
People set up supply stations with water bottles, fruit, crackers, disposable
raincoats, towels, goggles, face masks and tents, indicating they were in for
the long haul.
Some lugged metal road barricades into positions on the edge of crowds,
presumably to slow a police advance. In at least one location, several minivans
and a truck were parked in rows in an apparent effort to block a road.
"Even though I may get arrested, I will stay until the last minute," said
16-year-old John Choi.
"We are fighting for our futures."
Protest organisers urged citizens to donate more yellow ribbons, a symbol of
the rallies, and goggles to protect against tear gas and pepper spray.
Communist Party leaders in Beijing worry that calls for democracy could
spread to the mainland, and have been aggressively censoring news and social
media comments about the Hong Kong demonstrations.
The protests are the worst in Hong Kong since China resumed its rule in 1997.
They also represent one of the biggest political challenges for Beijing since it
violently crushed pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989.
Cracking down too hard could shake confidence in market-driven Hong Kong,
which has a separate legal system from the rest of China. Not reacting firmly
enough, however, could embolden dissidents on the mainland.
The deputy director of China's National People's Congress Internal and
Judicial Affairs Committee, Li Shenming, wrote in the People's Daily: "In
today's China, engaging in an election system of one-man-one-vote is bound to
quickly lead to turmoil, unrest and even a situation of civil war."FINANCIAL FALLOUT
On the financial markets, Hong Kong shares fell to a three-month low on
Tuesday, registering their biggest monthly fall since May 2012.
The city's benchmark index has plunged 7.3 percent this month. Chinese shares
were less troubled, perhaps because news of the protests in Hong Kong was hard
to come by on the mainland.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the de facto central bank, said 37 branches
or offices of 21 different banks had been temporarily closed because of the
protests.
Other businesses have been directly affected, including luxury retailers in
the Causeway Bay shopping mecca where protesters hunkered down.
The outside world has looked on warily, concerned that the clashes could
spread and trigger a much harsher crackdown.
In Britain's strongest interjection yet, finance chief George Osborne urged
China to seek peace and said the former colony's prosperity depended on
freedom.
Washington has urged the Hong Kong authorities "to exercise restraint and for
protesters to express their views peacefully".
The protests have also been watched closely in Taiwan, which has full
democracy but is considered by Beijing as a renegade province that must one day
be reunited with the mainland.
Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said Beijing needed "to listen carefully to the
demands of the Hong Kong people".
The United States, Australia and Singapore have issued travel alerts.